Related technical fields include route guidance systems, methods and programs.
In prior navigation system devices, for example, an arrangement has been made wherein the current location of a vehicle is detected by GPS (Global Positioning System), map data is read out from a data recording unit, and a map screen is displayed on a display unit which represents the current location of the vehicle, the map around the vehicle, and other variables. Accordingly, a driver can drive a vehicle in accordance with the vehicle location and so forth displayed on the map screen.
Also, upon the driver inputting a destination and setting search conditions, route-search processing is performed. In route search processing, a route from a departing location, represented by the current location of the vehicle, to a destination, is searched in accordance with the map data. Subsequently, the route search results and the current location of the vehicle are displayed, and route guidance is performed. Accordingly, the driver can drive the vehicle along the search route as displayed.
Incidentally, with route guidance, an arrangement is made wherein prior to a predetermined point, such as a point necessary to turn the vehicle to the right or left at an intersection, voice is output to perform route guidance. Accordingly, one or more route guidance points are set at points prior to the predetermined points on the searched route, and upon the vehicle reaching each of the points prior to the predetermined points, route content is output with voice (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-98233).
Also, with a navigation device capable of performing route guidance for separate lanes, and in the event that multiple lanes are formed on a road entering the guidance intersection (hereafter “entrance road”), the route guidance process recommends a lane, and the vehicle is guided from the current driving lane tithe recommended lane.
However, with the above conventional navigation device, route guidance is output with voice even at guidance intersections which can be easily passed through without route guidance for each lane, such that route guidance becomes unnecessarily complicated.